Onc2023 Stories

It's 1893, and Kitty's eleven cousins - her adoptive siblings - have all moved out. She only has Sherlock Holmes for company, until Cousin Joey returns from America alongside his dashing benefactor, Benedict Hawkins. Scotland Yard Inspector Tobias Thackery has spent a decade looking for his runaway sister. New clues on her trail point to an anarchist plot, and Kitty won't be left out as Tobias recruits family members into a spy network. The risks are real, and more personal than Kitty expects, on her whirlwind quest to self-fulfilment. * ONC2023 shortlister! Prompt 51: The problem with red flags is that I'm attracted to them. * To be completed on July 1st, ~40k words. Cover by @cxmern

** The horror slumbers buried under many meters of rubble and desert sand. Nameless cartouches, desecrated relics, and a sarcophagus containing an ancient riddle. ** "Ancient lands lost in time. Storms of sand, walls of lime Surround this mask of death that I wear Awakened by invading souls The curse of Pharaoh upon you Who dares to invade his holy ground The gods rise to destroy you." - Symphony X - When young student and photography enthusiast Arabella Redcliffe visits her uncle at an excavation site in Egypt anno 1922, ancient secrets are uncovered that should have remained hidden forever. The men and women of the archaeological excavation stumble upon a still-sealed burial chamber. But not only its condition and location raise questions. Who was buried here, why was his name erased from all records and reliefs, and why were many grave goods wantonly desecrated? Together, Arabella and the dashing archaeological assistant Miles Thornton try to get to the bottom of the mysteries. But then, inexplicable and terrible events begin to take their course. If they don't figure out what's going on in this cursed place fast enough, this tomb could become theirs, too. ***** My entry for the Open Novella Contest 2023 Cover by Me ***** 🥇TheGemstoneBooksAwards - Mystery 🥇 1st Place The Aster Awards - Paranormal 🥇 1st Place Rose Book Award - Mystery 🥇 1st Place Crown Awards - Mystery 🥇 1st Place Luminous Award - Best Title 🥇 1st Place Starlight Mini Awards - Best Prologue 🥇 Grad Prize Starlight Mini Awards 🥇 1st Categories Awards 2023 - Best Cover 🥇 1st Place Astania Awards - Mystery 🥈 2nd Place Starlight Mini Awards - Best Cover 🥈 2nd Place Megawatt Awards - Paranormal/Horror 🥈 2nd Categories Awards 2023 - Best Blurb 🥈 2nd Place Dazzle Awards - Thriller/Horror *****

(ONC 2023 Shortlisted) Shannon Meadows thought he was renting a house in a quiet secluded neighborhood that would allow him to focus on writing his literary masterpiece. Little did he know he was living next door to 80's rock legend Antony LeBon Lacey. Their personalities clash immediately, but soon they are forced to work together to discover what happened when two months disappear overnight and they appear to be the only two people left on Earth. Can they overcome their differences to find an answer to this mystery?

The Sentinels are finished. Everyone knows that. Once crucial to the defence of the galaxy, now neglected and labelled as irrelevant, the legendary warriors are a shadow of their former selves. No longer a bastion of the best and brightest, in this time of drones and AIs, when contracts have taken the place of conflicts, they're little more than a collection of misfits and miscreants, battling to justify their existence. None more so than their leader Cameron Estrela - an Earthling, a nobody from a nowhere planet. And now, with a mysterious and sinister threat looming and the fate of the galaxy at stake, they may have the chance. Provided, that is, Cam can steer clear of his malignant ex, see off a swarm of space-pirates, save the Sentinels from budget-cutting bureaucrats and keep both himself and his ragtag crew from being blasted into their component molecules. Good thing he likes a challenge.

There once was a boy named Raziel; Whose mother was Rachel and murderer was Thanatos. He went to Elysium at 16 and years later was reborn. Whom Death sensed had returned and rose his scythe to reap him. This second time how will the Son of Hades respond to the call of Grim? _________________*________________ A demigod is destroyed by Thanatos in 1966 and revived by Hades almost a century later. However, to him, it feels like he's only been gone for mere seconds. But his locked memories and unfamiliar surroundings makes him to doubt his initial perception and the enigmatic butler that tends to him. He must now figure out how to avoid Death the second time along with the help of two mortals (descendants of legends) that he meets in highschool. _________________*________________ *Book 1 of SoH(SON OF HADES) ----------------------------------------------- A novella based on the ONC 2023 Prompt 2 #FEATURED on @WattpadDarkFantasy *Cover by the awesome @JadeJupitar2023

Regulus had had enough of the loud screaming matches between his mother and older brother as they left him with a headache while also preventing him from hiding. In what felt like sheer madness, he left the house unnoticed and found a Muggle library, a sanctuary from noises that would bother him as he tried to study. Of course, in his delight to find a quiet place to study, he forgot one important thing. Muggles. Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter. This is written for ONC 2023, prompt seventy-six, "You're poring over spellbook in the local library when a human discovers you."

Arturo Banderas is a cadejo on the run. Framed for crimes he didn't commit, he has to escape his home for the human world, but in order to hide, he'll need to learn their culture, not just their physical form. Doctora Lidia Gutierrez wants to be the first person to understand the culture of the mysterious cadejos. No one has ever found them in the daylight, and those who survived their encounters at night weren't sober enough to explain anything. At least, none who were willing to talk to Lidia. When Arturo discovers Lidia's research he proposes a trade. If she'll teach him how to blend in, he'll tell her everything he knows about the cadejos. And it works just fine until a monster in the forest pushes them closer together. Working together is the only choice they have, but every moment spent together makes it harder to imagine a time when they'll be forced apart. And they will be, unless there's a way to stop the past from catching up with them. ~ * ~ * ~ This is one of the novellas I'm writing for ONC 2023. You can find the rest on my profile! For this story, I've selected prompt #52. "There is someone you dream about every night, but you never imagine meeting them in real life."

Just a collection of stats I've gathered while adding the round 1 qualifiers to prompt groups.

Through the eyes of Finlay Amery, a young teen who made a shocking discovery about the world he lives in, sets out on a mission to discover the truth.

Thalia Petridis, a Greek woman living in America, works at NOVAHER with her best friend and roommate Aqsa Afzal. She is on top of her field, her articles a hit. An almost perfect life. The only annoying detail is Clayton Mayers, who not only works in the same magazine but lives next to them. He blasts his music at all hours, has endless parties, and most of all, he has a way of getting under Thalia's skin more than anyone else. What will happen when their boss ships them off to a different building with a single floor? Will they be able to coexist? Hilarity ensues with petty fights, and feelings emerge.

Humankind has long since perished. But life goes on. Nature is slowly reclaiming the planet. A fire forces a young red fox named Kip to flee her den for the first time. Now alone and left half-blind, Kip must struggle to find refuge for herself and her two cubs. One thing is for certain: this nascent and feral world is just as dangerous as ever. --- ONC Prompt 13: You were at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and now you are running for your life! Cover art drawn by me.

Liha wants to avenge his family. If he has to become one of the king's men to do this, he will. But in the capital Penira, the golden city, he learns fast a man has to prove his worth. Sword in hand, if needs be. Dánirah hates the city, and people of her tribe are not welcome there. But she must deliver a message to one of her mother's contacts. When she is attacked, a young stranger tries to help her. They both end up wounded and in the care of a harlot. Months later, they meet again on the battlefield. Dánirah has the information to turn the tide of war. But can Liha convince the future king to trust the young tribal woman he hardly knows himself?

** When a wish brings devastating consequences, Pan must join forces with a fallen star to stop the walking dead before Neverland sinks into eternal darkness. ** "We can sail away tonight on a sea of pure moonlight We can navigate the stars to bring us back home In a place so far away We'll be young; that's how we'll stay Every wish is our command When we find ourselves in Never, Neverland." - Neverland, Zendaya - Everyone knows the stories and adventures of Peter Pan, the boy who didn't want to grow up. But hardly anyone knows that this story did not end the way it is told. After his most significant victory and worst loss, the boy who never wanted to grow up has to give up what is most important to him. What he does next, however, not only changes the course of Neverland's history but could also mean the island's demise under the two stars. So the future of this dreamy isle rests once again on the shoulders of Pan - and those of a fallen star. **** ONC2023EN SHORTLIST/HONORABLE MENTION The NanoWatt Longlist 2023 - Highlights 6 x WATTPAD FEATURED **** 🥇 1st Place Sunflower Award - Fanfiction 🥇 1st Place Laurel Wreath Award - Fanfiction 🥈 2nd Place Phoenix Award - Fanfiction 🥈 2nd Place TCR Awards - Adventure 🥉 3rd Place Starlight Mini Awards - Best Title 🥉3rd Place Fluorescene Awards - Fanfiction

A twist in time. A villainous lady hated by the ton. A quest to avoid ruin. When Ria's Grandmother suddenly disappeared, she didn't expect the search would bring them to 19th century England. After possessing a body of a woman hell-bent to profess her love to the most dashing man in town, Ria must salvage what little of what's left with "her" reputation to live a comfortable life, at least until she could find a way to return to her own time. Taken from Prompt #70 (ONC 2023)

The new and attractive landlord has left everyone else wanting to make a good impression. But me? I've known something was off from the moment he shook my hand. There's just something wrong about him. Something . . . dark. But I brushed it off. And now it might be too late. Guess I should have listened to my instincts after all. __________________________________ This story contains profanity and violence. • ONC 2023 •

It was never an easy choice. Growing up like Henry, it was always some complicated game of fate or shit where he had to chose. And it kept continuing all his life even 'til date and it was hard and getting worse for him. With his bestfriend - the only person left who understood him - on the bedside and her last wish, he decided to drive the damn cab to that location marked on the map. Even though it was nowhere on the GPS or anywhere else. Might've been a ride from which he wouldn't return with the girl in the cab behind him but he was not going to let that be and always wonder about the road not taken. *** inspired by prompt 09 of the ONC 2023 - details in introduction *** Amazing cover by @MuniWilliams Go check her cover shop out!

Open Novella contest 2023 (Prompts 73 and maybe 20?) What happened Maddie-Rose? Hundred of years ago Maddie-Rose was a powerful goddess, with the love of her life Oliver on her mind. One day her mother walks into her daughter's temple and finds her grandson alone with no sign of his parents. Now in the modern day, cousins Katie and Frankie will be going on a school trip. Along with Uncle Tom and Miss Adams.

Dara stood there, watching this girl and he swears the world stopped to breathe her in because.......God she was beautiful. And no his heart didn't skip a beat, it picked up like an athlete running a marathon. Suddenly, he is so alive, living and breathing for this girl in a xanthous dress. Yellow was Dara's new favorite color

[Grand Winner ONC India 2023] Bhairavi, a staunch devotee of Shree Ram, is a tourist visiting Kashmir with her daughter. One night she is going through the pictures she has clicked during the day and stumbles across one that shocks her to the core. It's the picture of a girl Bhairavi knows has been dead for almost a year. Scared yet wanting to uncover the truth, she decides to look into the matter and discovers something she couldn't have imagined in her wildest nightmares. Written for ONC India. Prompt No. 26 Rating: Suitable for all ages Start date: 16th February 2023 Date completed: 30th March 2023 Original story written for Wattpad by @GandalfofspaceAnli © 2023

Strangers: Two passing faces in a crowd Friends: Long to trust your allies Lovers: Learn to dance in time with fate Strangers: Lost in the tumble of the receding tide